


(Asshole) Best Friends

by AkikoFumi



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Asshole boyfriends, Attempt at Humor, Background Relationships, Best Friends, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Humour, M/M, Minor Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Pranks, Protective Sam Wilson, Team Dynamics, Team as Family, bird jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 13:29:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8058196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkikoFumi/pseuds/AkikoFumi
Summary: Sam and Bucky can't stand each other. At least that's how it looks. In reality, they are very good friends - they just like to be assholes to each other.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [syriala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/syriala/gifts).



> So, this is my first SamBucky story. It will probably get a second part.  
> This is dedicated to Danni, who gave me the Prompt.<3

“Who the fuck ate my cereal?”

Steve's eyebrows jump up to his hairline as he looks up from his own plate, shooting Sam a questioning glance.

As if on cue, Bucky rounds the corner, a bowl in one hand and a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Did you run out of birdseed?”, he asks. “I think we have some sunflower seeds left for you. At least you won't starve then.”

Sam turns.

For a moment, there is icy silence between the two of them, before Sam grinds out: “I hope you get fat.”

Bucky's grin widens.

“Super soldier metabolism. I never get fat.” He pats his flat stomach, straightening the littlest bit – and Sam pretends he doesn't take a moment to stare at Bucky's abs.

“Just you wait, Barnes. One day I'm gonna get my revenge. Assholes like you never get away this easily.”

Bucky only raises one eyebrow while he munches extra-annoyingly on the cereal. “Can't wait to see you failing, Wilson.”

Steve rolls his eyes and decides to ignore them both.

~~~~~~

It's movie night and they're all assembled in the living room. Natasha finally managed to silence Bruce and Tony, who are sticking their heads together, busily discussing some new experiment they want to do.

Bucky is the last one to join them, hair still damp from the shower. His eyes immediately fall on Sam, who takes up one of the sofas all on his own, sprawled out comfortably – and who stares back at Bucky, an open challenge on his face.

“Move up a bit, Wilson”, Bucky demands, but Sam just shrugs.

“Find your own spot”, he replies and makes a point in settling further into the soft pillows. “Thor might let you sit in his lap.”

Clint shoots them both a warning look. Of course it doesn't stop either of them.

Bucky just grabs Sam's legs and shoves them out of the way before he flops down into the cushions and stretches with a soft groan.

Sam kicks him.

“That's my place.”

“I'm sitting here, so now it's mine.”

Sam stares at Bucky. Then, slowly, he places one of his legs in Bucky's lap.

“Wilson-”

The other leg follows.

Bucky shoves him off.

Within moments, they're completely caught up in their childish banter, half-hushed insults whispered into the dimmed room – until Natasha hits each of them with a pillow and tells them to “Shut the hell up before I'll find a very creative way to get your tongues.”

Sam's feet stay in Bucky's lap afterwards, and when Bucky's hands stay on top of them, warm and nice, then no one says a word about it.

~~~~~~~

“Sam?” Steve cranes his neck, but he can't really see Sam in the kitchen. He knows Sam can hear him though. “While you're up, could you get me some juice?”

“Sure, Steve. Anything else?”

“Glass of water for me”, Bucky chips in and takes the seat next to Steve. He reaches for the controller and gives the blond a cheeky smile. “Ready to get your ass kicked, Stevie?”

Steve raises a brow. “Wait until I beat you on the rainbow road.”

He starts the game, preparing everything. It's not long before Sam comes back and places a couple of snacks and two bottles of juice in front of Steve.

Next, he puts a glass in front of Bucky.

It's filled with ice cubes.

“What the actual fucking Hell, Wilson-”

Sam shrugs, feigning innocence.

“You wanted water. All you gotta do is wait.”

~~~~~~~~

The thing is, Sam and Bucky bantering and playing stupid pranks on each other is nothing new. They have done it pretty much since the moment Bucky moved into the tower to join the team.

It's a real menace sometimes, especially because the prank wars these two have regularly tend to drag other members of the team into the crossfire as well.

For an outsider it would look as if Sam and Bucky can't stand each other. It's rare they go five minutes without insulting each other.

And yet the opposite is the case.

They may act as if they hate each others guts but underneath that snark and banter they are actually pretty good friends. None of the other Avengers are quite sure _how_ this can be, but it's a fact.

~~~~~~~

“A question for you, Captain Rogers”, the young, blonde reporter says. Steve is already bracing himself; he knows her, she always asks stupid things. By his side, he can hear Tony mutter “Fucking FOX News”, but he smiles at her and nods.

“Is Sergeant James Barnes a reliable member of the team?”

Bucky, seated on Steve's other side, flinches like he's been hit. His position on the team has been questioned ever since they brought him in; Tony's army of lawyers is doing their best to keep him out of jail, but the public has been judging him hard from the start.

“Listen-”, Steve begins, bristling. They have been over this so many times. Before he can continue, however, Sam stands up from his chair and places both of his hands flat on the table. He looks so very calm – but Steve can see the rage in his dark eyes.

“Ma'am, I am starting to think you are asking stupid questions on purpose, just to get a reaction from us. How many times have we discussed Sergeant Barnes' position on the team? How many times has Captain Rogers assured that he is an invaluable member of the Avengers?”

Sam's voice is cool, not betraying any of the things he must feel.

“I am asking you: How many times, over the course of the past months, has Sergeant Barnes saved the lives of innocent citizens?” Sam fixates her with an ice-cold glare.

“ _How many times”,_ he starts again, when she opens her mouth. “has Sergeant Barnes saved one of us?”

“But you have to admit that he _is_ a trained assassin! That countless killings have been executed by him. _Codename Winter Soldier,_ Mister Wilson. I don't believe this is new information for you-”

“The Winter Soldier was a _weapon_ HYDRA created. Sergeant Barnes has never consented to be used as a killing machine. He was tortured, brainwashed, frozen and hurt. Dehumanized, treated like a _thing,_ until he didn't think of himself as human anymore. And _now_ you come to blame him for what HYDRA made him do? He couldn't decide for himself. He wasn't given a choice. But you are blatantly ignoring this in favour of a good story, aren't you?”

Sam balls his hands and Steve notices he's trembling with anger. “We're done here. I refuse to continue interviews with people like you.”

He's up and gone before anyone can react. Bucky follows him immediately, both to escape the media attention that'll most likely follow now and to look after Sam.

Tony stands up next and, with a practiced, cheeky press-smile, handles the situation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This was awesome!”

Tony's grinning widely as he strolls into the living room. Steve gives him a reproachful look, his best “Captain America Is Disappointed In You” expression, really. Tony raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“Tony, this was-”

“This was _amazing!_ Not that I'm surprised, really; I knew Wilson had it in him. Sarcastic little shit that he is, though he doesn't show it.” He flops down on the couch right next to Steve, leaning against the blond with a content sigh.

Steve refuses a moment longer. Then he gives in and puts an arm around him.

“Fury's really angry Sam went off like this”, he murmurs into Tony's hair. “Sam will have to apologize.”

Tony snorts. “Nah. Over my dead body, Rogers. It was time someone shut this lady up.”

“I should be glad it wasn't you, hm?”, Steve replies and he's grinning. Tony drags him down for a kiss that stays innocent for a minute before he uses just a hint of teeth and tongue and Steve goes willingly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam isn't hiding. Or so he tells himself.

He just doesn't want to meet anyone from the team, not after he lost his cool like this.

He especially doesn't want to meet Bucky.

Of course, that's when there's a knock on the door and he knows immediately who it is. Sam sighs, but he gets up from the bed and walks slowly to the door and sure enough, when he opens it, Bucky's standing there.

Offhandedly, Sam realizes that Bucky must have showered in the meantime. His long hair is still a little damp at the tips, while the rest is all dry, shimmering gently under the lights and looking so soft that Sam _almost_ reaches out to run his hand through it.

“Get in here”, he says to distract himself and steps aside.

They sit down on the couch together and Sam resolutely doesn't think about the fact that he can feel Bucky's warmth through his pants where their thighs press together.

“That was pretty nice of you”, Bucky says after a while, breaking the tension. “You know... to defend me. Been a while since someone did that.”

Sam feels his lips turn into a smile. The tension doesn't go away, but if Bucky wants to act like this wasn't a weird outburst, then fine. Sam decides to play along.

“Naturally”, he gives back and then bumps Bucky's shoulder for good measure. “I'm the only one who's allowed to talk shit about you, Barnes.”

At that, Bucky turns and gives Sam a soft smile, one that he hasn't seen before. It's gentle and so endearing that Sam's heart does a little jump.

They sit together for a little while longer.

At one point, Bucky reaches out to take Sam's hand in his own – for comfort only, Sam tells himself. And hopes he'll believe it one day.

 


End file.
